Quick Summary
- Texas Gov. Abbott orders freeze on H-1B visa petitions at state agencies.
- The freeze aims to address reports of abuse in the federal program and prioritize jobs for Texas workers.
- Affected institutions must submit detailed reports to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27.
Texas will immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions across all state agencies and public institutions of higher education in response to reports of abuse in the federal program and to prioritize jobs for Texas workers.
The freeze, which applies to entities under gubernatorial appointees and public universities, will remain in effect through the end of the Texas Legislature’s 90th regular session on May 31, 2027, unless the Texas Workforce Commission grants written permission for exceptions.
In a Jan. 27 letter to agency heads, Gov. Greg Abbott stated: “The economy of Texas should work for the benefit of Texas workers and Texas employers. In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that program to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter.”
He contends that “state government must lead by example” by ensuring employment opportunities, in particular those funded with taxpayer dollars, are filled “by Texans first.”
The directive requires affected institutions to submit detailed reports to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27, including the number of new and renewed H-1B petitions filed in 2025, the number of current visa holders sponsored, their countries of origin, job classifications and descriptions, anticipated visa expiration dates, and documentation of efforts to recruit qualified Texas residents before pursuing visa petitions. Abbott instructed the commission to issue any necessary guidance for implementation.
Abbott’s order cited a September 2025 presidential proclamation by President Donald Trump, which emphasized that the H-1B program — which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, often in fields like technology and medicine — should supplement, rather than replace, the U.S. workforce.
The pause provides time for the Texas Legislature to consider statutory changes, Congress to revise federal law, and the federal administration to implement reforms, according to the governor’s office.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data from September 2025, public universities in Texas employ a significant number of H-1B visa holders, particularly in medical and research roles, with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas leading the way with 228 reported visa holders.
Texas A&M University in College Station has 214 reported visa holders, followed by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (171), the University of Texas at Austin (169), and Texas Tech University in Lubbock (143).
Overall, in fiscal year 2025, over 6,100 employers statewide filed petitions on behalf of H-1B visa holders, while 41,571 beneficiaries were approved, according to USCIS data.
Nationwide, Amazon was the top employer with more than 10,000 approved visas, while the Mumbai-based information technology company Tata Consultancy Services was a close second, followed by Microsoft, Apple and Google.
In Texas, multinational IT company Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation had the most H-1B visas in the state with 3,172.
Despite his call for a temporary H-1B freeze, Abbott has touted his efforts in recent years to bolster Texas trade and investment partnership with India, including with Tata Consultancy Services and other firms.
According to a 2024 release from the governor’s office, India ranked ninth among all nations when it comes to foreign direct investment projects in Texas.
